Segreti di il Nostro
by GemGemJoo
Summary: [KaiRei, Rei-centric] Just after the world championships, the Bladebreakers are headed back to their homes when out of the blue, they’re all called to China for some strange tournament. (Full summary inside)
1. Partings

Standard D/C applies.

A/N:  Yes, a Beyblade fic… an new one… new author (well, for this fandom anyway)… I'm just gunna write now.

Loosely translated, the title of the fic means 'Secrets of Ours' in Itallian.  However, you cannot totally trust online dictionaries.   

Summary:  [KaiRei, Rei-centric] Just after the world championships, the Bladebreakers are headed back to their homes when out of the blue, they're all called to China for some strange tournament.  Unknowingly, the group sets themselves up to learn more about each other and their lives before the Bladebreakers.

::NOTE::

The history concerning the characters is completely fictitious.  It is what I see in my own mind.  So sorry if it bugs you, but this is how I perceive things.  And Nicole, it won't work if you change it.  Sorry buddy, but it's not gunna make sense if you do.

Segreti Di Il Nostro

"Flight 227, to Beijing, now boarding," a perky voice sounded from the intercom overhead.  An ebony haired head glanced up at the sound and smiled slightly before looking over to his friends.

"That's me," Rei Kon told the little group of four around him.  Max, Tyson and Kenny all stood to bid their friend adieu.  

"We'll see you sometime, alright?" Max asked, in just the way that Max could.  Rei nodded and smiled slightly.

"Take care of yourself, we don't need you to be attacked on your break," Tyson joked and Kenny smacked the boy with Dizzi.

"Tyson!  That was uncalled for!" the computer boy exclaimed.  "Though he does have a point.  Try to take it easy, kay Rei?"  The neko-jin just chuckled.  

"I'll try," he stated before glancing over at the team captain.  The slate-haired teen just nodded at his teammate and Rei nodded back, knowing that was the best goodbye he was going to get.  Hell, the fact that Kai was even here was enough to shock the blader.

"Now loading rows 20-10," the perky voice stated, and Rei glanced down at his ticket.  

"That's my row, guess I'll be seeing you all later," he said before turning and slinging his carry-on over his shoulder.  Sighing, he walked over to the counter before disappearing down the corridor to the plane.

~x~x~x~x~x~

Kai silently sighed as he watched that swinging ponytail disappear behind a corner.  The group was dispatching and for some reason, the blader felt a hole in his heart appear at the mere thought.  Glancing over at the remaining three, Kai observed them, as he usually did.

Everyone was… solemn.  For some reason, the departure of Rei made the knowledge that the group was all going in different directions that much stronger.

They'd get through it of course.  Continue to train at home, then hook up again for a new tournament… that's just the way things went.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

"What?! But we just got back!" Tyson exclaimed.  Kenny nodded in agreement at the statement.  Mr. Dickinson sighed and rolled his eyes.  

"This is a wonderful opportunity to experience how other cultures use bitbeats in circumstances other then beyblading.  I know that you just got back, but this is a very interesting tournament that I want all of the Bladebreakers to attend, just to get an insight to the power of your own bitbeats."  Kenny nodded.

"It makes sense, we know tactics of beyblading, but very little about our own bitbeasts.  It will allow us to form even stronger bonds with them and will enhance our blading ability," the computer boy explained.  

Tyson grinned. "Well then!  Lets get going!" the enthusiastic blader exclaimed.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Rei looked around.  Here he was, home for not even two days and already being bargained with.

"Rei, we need you to do this!  It's an important part of family tradition for the eldest male in the family to partake in the Kshkin'ah [1] whenever they are at home and the tournament is being held.  I know you just got back from a beyblading tournament, but you're home now, so you must uphold your family responsibilities."  Rei sighed at his grandmother's words.

"Fine.  I'll do it, but I doubt I'll do very well, things considered."  His grandmother beamed.

"Thank you son.  You will be wonderful, I have total faith."  Rei smiled slightly, despite his urge to throw something at the old woman.  She only wanted what was best for the family.

"Castia will be arriving soon with some out-of-towners who are here to witness the event.  Said they wanted to learn about the ancient powers of the bitbeasts or something like that," the old woman continued.  Rei started slightly.  His sister was coming home?  A huge grin spread over the neko-jin's features.  This was wonderful news indeed.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Kai glanced around the street, trying to determine where his ride was.  He too had gotten a message and was now in Beijing, looking for his ride.

"Kai!" a familiar voice yelled.  The slate haired boy turned quickly, spying a familiar face.

"Tyson," he greeted with a nod of his head, before glancing at the other members of the group.  "Max, Kenny… Mr. Dickinson?"  At Kai's confusion, the old man chucked.  

"Don't worry about it," he replied, before scanning the crowd.

"Now, where is Castia?  She said she'd be here to pick us up," he muttered under his breath before a white '68 Mustang convertible screeched to a halt just in front of the quintet.  A raven-haired young woman was in the front seat, sunglasses slung up in her hair, a blue bandana with a yin yang symbol on it tying up her long bangs.  Her long hair was tied loosely at the nape of her neck and glimmering golden eyes looked at the little group.

"Mr. D!  You didn't tell me there would be more people!  We're gunna have to cram!" she exclaimed with a little laugh.  Max smiled brightly at her friendly tone and poked Tyson who was staring.  Kenny smiled shyly and 'Mr. D' sighed.  

"Sorry Castia, these are the Bladebreakers… well, almost all of them.  We're missing one, but I'm sure you know where he is."  Castia looked confused for a moment before her eyes widened in shock as a gleeful squeal escaped her lips.

"YES!" she cried, pumping a fist in the air.  Kai, and most of the others blinked as she pulled her hand down.

"Everyone, load your stuff in the back, cram in and lets get rolling!" she yelled, excitement now in the air.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Rei sat on the edge of the steps in the front of his house, excitement playing over his face.  Here he sat, much like he did when he was nine years old, impatiently awaiting his sister's return.

'I wonder what's changed since I last saw her,' he thought, beginning to bounce slightly.  His sensitive ears picked up the sound of a car driving along a dirt road and sure enough, a white car soon pulled into view.  It slowed to a stop a little ways away, but as soon as the car was almost to a stop, a figure jumped out and began racing towards the raven-haired teen.  Rei himself sprung up off the steps and the pair where soon on a collision course for each other.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Castia leaped out of the car, before it even rolled to a stop.  The Bladebreakers where all surprised to see her ecstatic motions before she took off in a direction at a dead sprint

Castia threw her arms around her brother as soon as they met.  Rei grinned into his older sister's shoulder as the woman started speaking a mile a minute.

"When did you come back?  How was the tournament?  What did you place?  Are you alright?  Who did you travel with?  When can I meet them?  Did you meet anyone there?  How's Drigs?  Are you doing Kshkin'ah this year?  Did you take it off?  Have you seen Cleo?  Wanna beybattle later?" she interrogated her younger brother without hardly taking a breath.  Rei blinked for a moment while Castia regained her breath before bursting out in loud laughter.  Castia grinned at her baby brother and the two released each other before Rei opened his mouth.

"Drigger's fine, and not now.  Yes I'm in Kshkin'ah, so I need to start training for that, and I was hurt during the tournament, so I need to save my strength… who was in the car with you?" Rei asked, finally registering the other presences.  Castia grinned.

"You know Mr. D, right?"  Rei nodded, arching an eyebrow at his sister.  The raven-haired woman continued.  "Well, he brought the Bladebreakers here to witness the Kshkin'ah so that they can learn about their bitbeasts."  Rei stood in shock as he looked over to the car.

Sure enough, there where his friends, getting their luggage out of the back and beginning to walk towards them.  One teen in particular stood out to the neko-jin.

'Oh shit.  They can't be the out-of-towners that grandma was talking about,' he thought to himself in terror.

Of course, it was obvious that they were.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

END!  Of chappie one.  ^-^ lemmie know how you liked it, it's my first Beyblade fic.

[1] ksh-kin-AH – a made up ceremony (that I created) that involves bitbeasts and their human counter part fighting side by side.


	2. Blood Bonds

Standard D/C applies.

A/N: Oh wow, this is amazing.  It's been one day, and already I have six reviews.  Thank you to everyone who has (and will) review, your words are greatly apprecitated.

Summary:  [KaiRei, Rei-centric] Just after the world championships, the Bladebreakers are headed back to their homes when out of the blue, they're all called to China for some strange tournament.  Unknowingly, the group sets themselves up to learn more about each other and their lives before the Bladebreakers.

Segreti Di Il Nostro

"Rei!" Tyson yelled ecstatically.  Rei barely had time to brace himself before the boy was upon him.

"Why didn't you tell us you'd be here?  We didn't think you'd come! Mr. D wants us to watch this tournament thingy.  You gunna watch too?" Tyson asked, rapid-fire.  Rei bristled at the onslaught of questions.  Kai, Max and Kenny had caught up to the duo just as Tyson had asked that last question.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," the neko-jin answered, glancing at his sister.  Castia grinned cheekily before calling attention to herself.

"We've got to get you guys settled!  Please, follow me so I can get you guys ready for the next while.  Hope you guys don't mind sleeping on the floor, you're going to be there for the next little while," she rambled before stalking off to her home.  The other Bladebreakers had really no choice but to follow, and as soon as they were outside of hearing range, Rei turned to Mr. Dickinson.

"What are they doing here?" he asked calmly, just a tiny hint of anger in his voice.  The little old man turned to Rei in surprise. 

"What do you mean?  You know what they're here for, they're here to witness the Kshkin'ah.  Is there a problem with that Rei?" he asked the Chinese blader.  Rei's eyes narrowed to tiny slits.

"I don't want them to see what I do.  I'm not myself when I'm in the ring, and I don't want to have to push them away in order to protect them," was the short answer as Rei turned on his heel and walked away.  Mr. D followed the blader with his eyes before sighing softly to himself.

"You'll have to do far more then that to get them to leave you alone," he muttered softly, before turning in the other direction and walking calmly to the hotel he would be staying in.

xxxxx

The night was quiet as a cool breeze swept over mother earth's plains.  The stars twinkled in mirth as they shed their gentle glow upon the ground.

Kai stared up at those twinkling pinpoints of light before exhaling slowly, focusing his thoughts on the world around him.  He was always most alert late at night, and tonight was no exception.

A faint rustling noise caught the slate haired teen's attention.  The sound was barely there, but if he focused just right…

"Aha, there we go," Kai thought to himself.  Just over a ways to his left, the sound of feet padding silently on the ground alerted him of another's presence.  

Quickly, the slate haired teen followed the footsteps.  Though they were quiet, they could still be heard by the wary predator, therefore Kai could automatically rule out Rei.  He knew that it was near impossible to hear his friend when he didn't want to be heard.

So Kai followed on silent feet, swiftly tracking the footfalls until he came to a clearing.

Kai Hiwatari stopped and stood in awe at what was happening before him.

xxxxx

Rei stood, the circle of flames around him heating him all over.  He felt the flames and allowed them to lend him wisdom and strength as he mentally prepared himself to do what had to be done tonight.

A sudden movement in front of him grabbed his attention, as Castia gently put down the little bundle in her arms.

A little girl now stood between Castia and Rei, her big blue eyes blinking sleepily at the brother and sister. 

"Unca Way?" she asked softly, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Just stand there, Cleo," Castia instructed.  The young girl nodded and stood silently, eyes slipping shut. Looking up from the small figure Castia regarded her brother carefully.

"You ready?" she asked, love clear in her tone.  Rei nodded slightly and at his acknowledgment, a clan elder stood and walked over to the duo.

"Hold out your right hand," the old neko-jin instructed.  Both Kons did so and watched as the elder sliced a deep cut in their palms.  Blood welled up from the wounds and Rei and Castia looked hard into the others eyes.

In a sudden blur, their two hands suddenly clapped together over Cleo's head.

"Be bound by blood, with the promise of protection for the one that stands between us.  If it must be, our blood shall spill before hers.  For the rest of time, this promise will stand."

A single drop of combined blood dripped onto the small neko-jin's head, closing the ritual.

xxxxx

Kai stood in confusion as he watched Rei and his sister bond themselves to each other and the little girl between them.  The slate haired blader blinked as, once the ritual was over, Rei bent down and picked up the young girl.  Kai felt his heart warm somewhat at the sight of his teammate with the little girl.

On silent feet, Kai slipped away and headed back to Rei's house, suddenly ready for sleep.

xxxxx

Rei smiled softly at the little bundle of energy in his arms.  Cleo smiled up at him and wrapped her tiny arms around the Chinese blader's neck.

"I wuv you Unca Way," she whispered into his neck.  Rei smiled softly at the young neko-jin. 

"I love you too Cleo," he murmured, stepping out of the circle of flames.

"Rei, we need to get both you and Cleo to bed.  You have training in the morning," Castia stated as she too walked from the circle.  Rei grinned slightly before handing Cleo back to Castia.

"I'm going, I'm going," he teased, earning a chuckle from his older sister.  Suddenly, Rei's golden gaze became fiercely serious as he gazed at the mother and daughter combination.

"I won't let anyone get to her Castia," Rei swore as he looked carefully at his niece.  Casita smiled, and with her free hand she gently brushed at the bangs in Rei's face.

"Rei, as much as I love Cleo, I love you too.  I don't want you to foolishly through your life away, just to save her," she told her little brother sweetly.  Rei nodded, and a short sigh escaped his lips.

"They're going to have so many questions when they see me in the ring," Rei murmured.  Castia chuckled softly and gently laid her hand on Rei's shoulder.

"Your friends only care about you.  They may ask questions, but only in your best interest," she replied as the started off to home.

The trio walked in silence for a while before they came to the Kon household.

"Got o sleep.  We start your training tomorrow," Casita instructed sternly.  Rei simply nodded as he stepped on the threshold of his house and disappeared behind his door.

xxxxx

Kai awoke early, before everyone else in the room.  Looking around, he realized that something had woken him up, for it appeared even early for him.

The young little girl he saw with Rei the day before was staring at him, playing with his bangs.

The pair stared at each other for a while before the little girl suddenly looked away and darted towards the door.  Kai blinked at her enthusiasm, before sitting up to see what she did.  What met his eyes took his breath away.

Rei stood, the little girl latched around his ankles, a loving smile on his face.  He was dressed not in his usual Chinese garb, but loose black drawstring sweatpants and a tight crimson t-shirt.  The shirt clung to the blader like a second skin and left little to the imagination.  Rei's hair was out of its usual confinements, and fell about his face, giving him a very wild look.

The blunette couldn't help but feel the strong urge to follow his teammate as the teenager walked out the back door.

So the Russian followed him.

xxxxx

"You ready?" Castia asked as Rei stepped out of the house.  Sighing, the raven-haired teen nodded as he handed Cleo over to her mother.

"I want you to do three laps to warm up.  Then stretch, and then come to me.  I'll have more for you to do," Castia instructed Rei, and as soon as he took off, Castia spoke again.

"You can come out Kai.  You don't have to hide," Castia stated.  Kai growled at being sought out, but stepped forwards anyway.

"You've been watching my brother recently," Castia stated.  Kai said nothing but watched as Castia gently placed her daughter on the ground and whispered something in the little girl's ear.  Turning back to Kai, Castia smiled.

"You know any martial arts?" she asked.  Kai nodded warily and Castia grinned.

"Good. Rei need a sparring partner," she stated, just as the mentioned teen rounded the corner.  Confusion leapt into the golden eyes of the neko-jin, but he continued to run.

"What are you waiting for?" Castia asked.  Kai arched an eyebrow. 

"You'd better catch up with him.  If you're going to train, then you'd better get going," the young mother instructed.  Something in her tone booked no argument, so Kai took off after Rei.

This day was proving to be interesting.

Yeeeeeeeees…… I don't really have a lot more to say.  I hope you enjoyed chappie two!


	3. Perfect Match

Standard D/C applies.

A/N:  Yes, another chapter.  ::hears gasps of horror:: Funny guys…-.- (is mainly directing this to a certain beta) …. Ya know, I just realized that I made the summary sound like the fic actually focuses on the other bladders besides Rei and Kai………….. it really doesn't.  Heh.    ::grins::  I apologize in advance if the sparring match, it seems a little stiff, I don't really write hand-to-hand combat very well.

Oh, and if anyone wants to draw me a picture of Rei in the black pants and red shirt… by all means, be my guest.  In fact, feel free to draw any scene that strikes you in this fic.  So long as I get a copy of the picture.

And lastly, I just want anyone who reads this to check out Vialana's fanfiction.  If you like mine, you will defiantly like his/hers.  He/She (as I truthfully don't know) has perfected the art of angst and drama.

Summary:  [KaiRei, Rei-centric] Just after the world championships, the Bladebreakers are headed back to their homes when out of the blue, they're all called to China for some strange tournament.  Unknowingly, the group sets themselves up to learn more about each other and their lives before the Bladebreakers.

Segreti di il Nostro  

"What are you doing?" an impatient voice asked.  Kai raised an eyebrow at Rei's uncharacteristic annoyance at his presence.  The usually calm, cool and collected one was… peeved.

"Your sister told me that I'm going to train with you now.  I didn't ask any questions," Kai replied smoothly.  Rei hissed at the answer before picking up the pace of his stride.

The pair finished their warm-up in relative silence, unless you counted the pounding of their feet or the panting of their breath.  Once the run was completed, they began to stretch.

"You're probably not going to like what you see," Rei stated as he folded himself neatly in half, stretching his hamstrings.  Kai smirked slightly at that comment.

"Probably nothing I haven't seen before," was his short reply. 

Rei smirked. "I doubt that," he muttered, just as Castia walked over.

"You stretched?" she asked.  Rei stood up and nodded.  Kai too stood and awaited further instruction.

"Kai, get Dranzer.  I'm going to teach you something very important.  Few beybladers know about his, but to understand the basis of your bitbeast, you must know about Kshkin'ah," Castia told the slate haired teen.  Kai gingerly pulled Dranzer out of his pocket.  Rei growled deeply, but still said nothing.

"Rei, show him how it's done," Castia instructed.  The neko-jin glared, but pulled out a small bit.

"DRIGGER!" Rei yelled, and a sudden flash of green light, appeared.  When the light died down, Kai stared.

In front of him, was the great white tiger that he had only ever seen in bey battles.

Drigger looked blankly at Kai, before Rei walked over to his partner and laid a hand on the great cat's flank.  At once, the massive beast calmed, and Rei began to gently scratch his muzzle.

To say everyone was surprised, when all of a sudden Kai's beyblade started to glow, would have to be an understatement.  In fact, Kai nearly dropped his blade he was so surprised.

A great scream sounded from the figure emerging from the bit.  Kai stared in awe as his beloved Dranzer rose amongst a sea of flames.

The great winged creature screeched as she flew up into the air.  Kai watched his partner, with what resembled a smile on his face as he followed his friend with his eyes and spirit.

"That's a first," Castia muttered.  Kai quickly turned his attention onto her.

"What do you mean?" he asked, a suspicious tone lingering in his voice.  Castia merely smirked.

"I mean, that that was the first time I've ever seen a bitbeast emerge from their bit without their partner calling them.  Some other force must have been urging Dranzer to appear..."  The neko-jin fell silent as she saw Dranzer land in front of Drigger.  Drigger began to purr at once and Dranzer began to—somehow— nuzzle the tiger.

"Oh my lord," Castia whispered, before a huge smile split over her face.  Rei simply raised an eyebrow at his tiger's vocal content before shrugging and turning to his sister.

"Can we please get going?  I would like to do some sparring eventually," he stated, clearly annoyed with what had just transpired.   Castia smirked and looked at her little brother.

"Why don't we see how much a match Kai is for you?  I think it would be fair to establish what you need to know when facing an unknown assailant," Castia told her brother.

"That won't quite work sis.  We do know each other," Rei stated rolling his eyes.  Castia began muttering.

"You dumbass, I don't think you've ever fought each other.  THAT'S what I meant when I said unknown," she replied prissily.  Kai just watched the pair argue in amusement.

"So, are we going to do it or not?" he asked before the argument could escalate into a full-blown fistfight.  Both Castia and Rei turned to him.

"Lets do it," Rei stated, a gleam in his eyes.

xxxxx

Kenny woke up and immediately groaned.  The light that was spilling onto his face burned his eyes, and at once the computer boy wished he could just go back to sleep until a sound coming from the gardens caught his attention.  If he didn't know any better, he'd swear there was a struggle going on…

xxxxx

"Whenever you're both ready, we can begin," Castia instructed, looking at both her brother and his advisory.  Rei dropped down into a fighting stance and grinned over at Kai.  The slate-haired teen simply smirked and too dropped back.

Without a word, Rei went on the offence and immediately attacked Kai with a hard kick to the face.  Kai blocked the kick, seemingly without any effort and retaliated with a punch to Rei's exposed stomach.  Rei blocked the attempt and the duo continued on with this dangerous little dance.  Both knew that the other wouldn't pull any punches; therefore the need to defend and attack was well understood.

Castia watched the pair with critical eyes.  As she observed the pair, she made a definite note to herself.

'They look like liquid velvet.  If I didn't know any better, I'd say that they'd have rehearsed this thousands of times,' the female neko-jin thought to herself.

It was true.  Neither one noticed, but every move they made was countered perfectly by the other.  Everything one did to attack, the other used against them to feed into their own attack, making each hit stronger and quicker. 

Rei suddenly had a thought.  He obviously couldn't beat Kai by what he had been taught, so why shouldn't he try something new?

As the slate-haired teen reached out to throw Rei to the ground, the neko-jin allowed his captain to grab hold of his shirt.  As Kai began to throw the neko-jin, Rei grabbed his arm and used their combined momentum to throw Kai over him and pin the boy.

Kai's eyes widened in surprise as Rei hovered over him.  Both were breathing quite hard from their match, and Rei couldn't help but smirk smugly.

"I win," he stated simply, before getting up off Kai.  The blue haired blader growled low, before pulling a similar stunt to what Rei had done.

Rei blinked up at Kai whom was now leaning over him, smirking.  It was then that Rei became all to aware of the muscle of Kai's body, pressing into his own lean shape and he flushed slightly.

"Get off," he whispered, not trusting his voice enough to speak much louder then that.  Kai raised an eyebrow at that and smirked.  However, he did get up off the neko-jin and Rei nodded in gratitude before glancing apologetically at his sister and taking off towards the woods that surrounded the village, grabbing Drigger on the way.  Puzzled, Kai began to go after his teammate, the only thing restraining him being the hand Castia laid on his shoulder.

"Leave him.  He'll be fine," she said in a stern motherly voice.  Kai nodded, his body responding to the strict tone.  Without any more words, the pair walked back into the Kon household, where everyone was now rising.

XXXXX

Rei began to slow down as he entered the woods, searching for a secluded spot where he could release Drigger and think.  It wasn't long before he found that spot and he sunk quietly to the ground.

"Drigger," he called softly, and the big beast emerged, looking down upon his distraught partner.  Rei smiled weakly, burying his face in the white tiger's fur.  The pair stayed like this, wordlessly for a long time, both beast and man taking comfort in the other's presence.

XXXXX

The next week passed by, pretty uneventfully and Rei watched Kai carefully, both when they were training and when they weren't.  Rei was quiet about it, didn't attract attention to himself, and the week leading up to Kshkin'ah went by in a blur. 

All was fine and dandy until at last, Rei got a look at the tournament roster.

XXXXX

"Shit," Rei cursed when he looked at the opponents registered in the tournament.  Seeing as Kshkin'ah was a round robin, he knew he would be facing all competitors at least once.  The reason behind the curse was that not only where there triple the amount of competitors this year, but many of the names were very familiar.

"I can understand the White Tigers being registered… but Enrique? Johnny?  Micheal?  Damnit, most of the teams at the worlds have at least one person entered in Kshkin'ah this year," Rei groaned, peeved beyond redemption.    Castia just smirked at her little brother's expression.

"At least you know their blading styles.  You do remember that the style the use to blade is usually similar to their fight style," Castia said, a big smile on her face.  Rei growled at his sister.

"You know how I get in the ring Castia.  I don't want to hurt them sis, but I have to do my best to win this thing to keep the respect the elders gave me," Rei explained to his sister.  The barely bridled anger was clear in his voice.  He did not like outsiders to partake in such a traditional ceremony.  Castia just sighed and pulled her brother into a hug.

"Rei, don't be afraid of hurting someone.  That's what the officials are there for.  It's their job to stop the match if someone is greatly out matched and you know that," Castia said, gently stroking Rei's back.

"I know.  I still don't want them to see me out of control," Rei whispered against his sister's shoulder.  Castia shook her head and lead her brother to his bed, sitting him down in front of it.  Gently, she began to unwrap her brother's hair from it's tight binding, and once unbound, Castia took a brush from the bedside table and began running it through Rei's long tresses.  Rei immediately began to purr and Castia giggled quietly.

"So, what's been up with that captain of yours?  You've been watching him closely lately, you interested or something?" Castia asked, ever intrusive on her little brothers life. 

"Shut up.  I'm having enough trouble trying to figure out my own thoughts, I really don't need your thought spinning in my brain too," Rei growled, sending his sister a quick glare over his shoulder.  Castia smirked.

"You are such a little baby, I was just asking!  Besides, I seem to remember that little incident not too long ago about a certain blader…" she said teasingly.  Rei blushed brightly at that.

"It was a crush.  Nothing serious.  Besides, I was younger… more easily influenced," Rei justified.  Castia just rolled her eyes and stood.

"Get some sleep.  You have your first battle in the morning," she said as she walked out of the room, shutting the light off behind her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

End chappie three!  Wow, thank you to all that have taken the time to review, It means a lot to me.


	4. Ceremony

Standard D/C applies.

A/N:  Wow guys! This is great!  I never expected to have so many reviews already.  I mean, 30 reviews for 3 chapters?  That's 10 reviews per chapter!  Thank you so much everyone, this is great.  -

Sorry for the lateness of the chapter.  No excuses, so I won't give you any.  I did however make this chapter a little longer then all the rest.  So, read on.

:::::SHAMELESS PLUG::::::

GO READ "Never Gonna Work" under my penname.  I COMMAND YOU!  LoL, Jokes.

And, memo to Raku Ozzarian princess:

(I hope I spelled your name correctly)

I WANT TO READ MORE OF 'HEAT'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ::has an apoplexy::

Summary:  [KaiRei, Rei-centric] Just after the world championships, the Bladebreakers are headed back to their homes when out of the blue, they're all called to China for some strange tournament.  Unknowingly, the group sets themselves up to learn more about each other and their lives before the Bladebreakers.   ::SURPRISE COUPLE in chapter 4…:: (Don't kill me, please…)

in this chapter there is an interesting take of mine on First Nation ceremonies.  It takes the little I know about First Nation's people and applies it to a traditional neko-jin ceremony that I created. 

Segreti Di Il Nostro

Rei sighed as his sensitive ears alerted him of day breaking over the horizon.  Birds twittered noisily, grating on the neko-jin's nerves.  Opening his eyes, Rei stared up at the ceiling over his head.  Tonight was the Kshkin'ah opening ceremonies… and the BladeBreakers were going to witness it all.

It was pretty clear how the neko-jin felt on the subject… and to say he was pleased would have been a massive over statement.  He really didn't want his team to witness such a sacred event as what was going to happen tonight.

A soft sigh of frustration escaped his lips as he turned his head to face the door.  Groaning, the raven-haired fighter sat up and slipped out of bed.   Hurriedly, he tied up his hair at the nape of his neck and walked out of the room, mentally beginning to prepare himself for the evening to come.

XxXxX

Max grinned.

"Guys!  This is SO COOL!" the hyper blonde exclaimed, bouncing slightly in the seat of the mini van he and his team were riding in.  Tyson grinned at him while Kenny just rolled his eyes.  Kai was his usual self, quiet and broody, as the group drove to the secluded area where the Kshkin'ah opening ceremonies where to be held.

"Max, we understand that you're excited.  But if you, or anyone on this team for that matter disrupts the ceremony, there is a very likely chance that we will not be permitted to watch the actual tournament," Kenny chided, and strangely enough, Max immediately stilled, the only indication of his previous excitement being the nervous tapping of his fingers against his leg.

Kai sighed softly as he crossed his arms over his chest.  He would be loathe to say it, but the constant chatter of his teammates was surprisingly soothing.  Thus was the case why he managed to fall into a light snooze.  It wasn't long however when he was roused by Tyson's voice.

"We're there!" the blue haired teen declared happily.  Kai opened his eyes to find that yes indeed, they were there.  A soft groan escaped his lips as he got out of his seat, to find himself staring into the dense woods.  The darkened sky hung solemnly above him and he couldn't help but wonder why this event had to happen at night.  Looking up at the stars, he found he didn't care, and mindlessly followed his team to where ever this ceremony was to be held.

XxXxX

Rei sighed as he looked over at his friend and fellow warrior.  Li just grinned wolfishly at him and waved a gesturing hand towards the clearing.

"They may as well find out sooner then later.  I know you're worried, but Rei, we're being bonded tonight!  Don't tell me that you're feeling lousy on the best possible night of a neko-jin warrior's life!  Come on!  Hell you might even get bonded to one of your teammates.  Wouldn't that be something!" Li exclaimed.  Rei offered his soul brother a weak smile.

"You know what I'm like Li.  I don't want any of them to see that in me.  I wanted to protect them from the white tiger.  I can't do that now.  Plus there IS the chance that I might get bonded to one of my teammates!  I don't want to burden any of them with that!" Rei declared, running a hand through his loose hair.  Li just rolled his eyes.

"Rei, you know what the elders say.  Your bond is chosen by fate.  You have no say in it," Li stated, rolling his eyes at his friend.  Rei glared at him in annoyance before rolling his eyes.

"Whatever."

 XxXxX

Kai stared at the small bonfire in the center of the semi-circle of logs that had been created for the ceremony.  His gaze lingered on the dancing flames that leapt and pranced among the darkness of the night.  Tyson sat on his right, staring with equal fervor at the flames, Max on the Dragoon's partners own right, his gaze subdued.  Somehow, the blonde got the feeling that something big was going to happen to him tonight, and he couldn't tell what.  Kenny sat on Kai's left and was busily tapping away at Dizzi who had thankfully chosen to remain otherwise silent.

The beating of ceremonial drums suddenly started to pound and Kenny snapped his laptop shut as the ceremony began. 

An elder stepped out into the semi-circle of spectators.  He was directly across from Kai, who gazed at him though the flames.  Many from the neko-jin village were there, and many were looking at Kai in amusement.  It was then that the elder chose to speak, his voice still engaging after many long years.

"Millennia ago, a time before man, a time before neko-jin, there were gods and goddesses roaming the land.  They lived in a world of peace, calm and solitude.  These beings each hard a guardian spirit, one more powerful then the next.  The guardians, are now what we today call our bit beasts. 

"The world, as was said, was calm, beautiful.  There was an abundance of natural beauty, in the fields and valleys, in the lakes and rivers, in the glorious crystalline sky.  The people were happy, in love with the beauty of the earth.  Until that first drop of blood fell.

"There was war.  There was hatred.  The people fought one another, their spirits dueling other spirits until there was one.

"This one was the creator of man and neko-jin alike.  He ruled with a fair hand, but was stern in his teaching.  Eventually, both the creator, and his favorite species, man, forgot their neko-jin brothers, and the world went on, growing to what it is today. 

"Let us remember why Kshkin'ah is so important.  For us, it signifies the unity of our ancestors spirits with our own, and the blood that was spilled in order for our creation.  Let it _begin!_"  With the elder's last words, there was an explosion of music, voices, screeches, howls, roars, and whinnies as neko-jin dressed in traditional garb leapt into the semi circle to dance around the pit of flames.  The mood was joyous, and many of the spectators joined in the dance.  The dance lasted for a long while before the drums began to beat less erratically, and a giant hush fell over the crowd, everyone taking a seat, either on the logs placed around or down on the ground, to stare in awe at the three figures now standing at the entrance of the semi-circle.

Kai watched carefully as the trio lined up, almost as if they were ranking themselves.  The one in the center stood the closest to the fire, though his face was still shrouded in shadow.  He was defiantly male though.  The only thing he wore was a pair of loose, ceremonial black pants, and Kai could see the definite masculinity of the figures chest and over all shape.  On the first figure's right, there stood another male, dressed in a similar fashion.  However, this figure stood slightly behind the first, and his posture was one of that who was only second best.  On the center figure's left, there stood another, who stood slightly behind that of the second figure.  This one was defiantly female, as though she wore the same pants as the prior two, she also wore a tight black tank top that ended just above her navel.  Upon closer inspection, Kai found that there were Chinese characters on each of the figures, on the right pectoral.  Each of them were different, and Kai could not for the life of him figure out what they meant.

The drums suddenly picked up in speed and the female figure raced forward, leaping high over the bonfire before landing hard in a crouch, directly in front of Kai.  Though her face was still shrouded in shadow, her features were more discernable and the Russian's eyes widened as he recognized the familiar pink hair.  Mariah looked up at him and simply smirked before leaping up again and landing smack in front of the guy who was sitting on Kenny's left.  She grinned at the young male neko-jin before proceeding to pull him out from his seat, wrap her arms around him, and begin to kiss him senseless.  Kai couldn't help but smirk at that.

The drums continued to play at the previous pace and volume, even as the next figure stepped out of the shadows.  Kai gaped at the familiar smug expression of Li as the neko-jin began to slowly dance around the edge of the circle, passing Kai with a smirk before stopping in front of none other then Max.  The captain of the White Tigers grinned as he held out a hand to the blonde whom hesitantly took it and allowed himself to be pulled up.  Li leaned down and whispered a few things in Max's ear, before quickly claiming the blonde's lips.  Max's eyes widened, but he allowed himself to relax into the soft kiss, his eyes sliding shut.

Kai heard Tyson growl as the White Tiger captain kissed the blonde, and Kai found himself smirking.  The little blonde seemed to actually be enjoying it, so there was nothing that the slate haired captain was going to say. 

Drawing his attention away from the kissing pair, Kai turned to face the last of the figures.  There was something telling him that when the next figure reveled himself, things were going to dramatically change. 

The lone figure took a step forward.  Kai found himself holding his breath as he waited for the light to be shed (both literally and figuratively) on who this mystery person was.

The figure however, seemed to have other ideas.  Instead of stepping straight out into the light, he took a step sideways, carefully slipping into another shadow before placing another foot forwards.  With this, step, the lower half of the neko-jin's face became visible, and Kai couldn't help but stare at the pair of fangs protruding from the neko's mouth.  Raven black hair blew in the wind that had picked up during Li's little display, and Kai found himself speechless.  Or rather, thoughtless, as he wasn't really talking anyway.  The figure finally stepped out of the shadows, light sparkling in familiar yellow eyes, and he moved forward, his hair loose around him, as he made his way over to the head of the semi-circle.

Upon arrival, the figure glanced down at the three boys who were isolated from the rest of the spectators.  A fond smile spread on Rei's lips as he viewed the dazed expressions that adorned his teammates faces until his eyes riveted onto Kai.  Slowly, and very, very deliberately, Rei reached his hand forward, palm up, an offering to his captain to join him.

Kai gazed upon Rei's expression before slowly, and just as deliberately placing his hand in Rei's and allowing his neko-jin teammate to pull him up, their eyes still glued together.  Time seemed to stand still as Rei tilted his head slightly and leaned forward, before his lips gently fell onto Kai's.

As the pair's lips fused together, the drums began to speed up, and a new level of intricacy was added to the dimension as the three pairs kissed in the glow of the burning flames.  The steady pounding of the drums gradually became an erratic, chaotic pulsing mess, with no real rhythm as the pairs in the center kissed.  Then, in perfect unison, the drums stopped, and Rei, Li and Mariah all threw their heads back, breaking their respective kisses.

And they roared.

The sound was powerful, exciting, and even frightening.  The rest of the spectators used this as their cue to cheer, or roar along with them, as the three neko-jin's took their partners by the hand, and led them from the circle, off into the night.

Then the party began.

XxXxX

Kai let himself be led by the neko-jin and was surprised to find that Rei was taking him to a small tent set up on the outskirts of the clearing.  Looking briefly around, he saw two similar tents set up beside the one Rei was leading him to.

"Where are we going?" Kai asked, his voice quiet in the roar of the celebration behind them.  Rei paused and faced Kai.

"We're going to the middle tent to close the ceremony we started back in the log circle," Rei explained, before moving again, pulling Kai along with him.  Kai allowed himself to be pulled, curiosity getting the better of him.

Stopping just as they reached the flap that served as the door to the little hut, Rei glanced over at Kai.

"You're going to have to take off your shirt," the neko-jin stated.  Kai raised an eyebrow at this comment, but deftly stripped off his shirt as he followed Rei inside, tossing the shirt just outside the door.

The interior of the tent was lit with an array of torches of varying height, and Kai looked around, only to find Rei taking his place on one of the two cushions in the middle of the tent.  Rei sat down, kneeling on his legs and closed his eyes, his whole body suddenly relaxing.  Kai assumed the same position on the cushions opposite of his teammate and too closed his eyes.  A soft pad of footsteps sounded, but all Kai was concentrating on was the sound of Rei's breathing, and how it seemed to be the perfect counter point to his own.

A soft voice began chanting in Chinese, the lyrical smoothness of the tone relaxing Kai even further.  Opening his eyes slightly, he faced Rei, who was kneeling in front of him, a little jar of black ink in his hand as well as a small brush.

Kai had to bite back a groan when saw Rei dip the brush in the ink before the young neko-jin ran the brush over one of his pectorals, placing a mark that was identical to the kitten's own there.  Looking the phoenix in the eyes, Rei gently turned Kai's head to the left, placing the same mark on Kai's right cheek.  It was then that Kai noticed that Rei bore even more markings, on his arms and brow that looked similar to the ones that Rei was putting on Kai.

The voice suddenly stilled as Rei sat back, his eyes still glued on to Kai's.  The younger teen was the first to break eye contact, and his gaze fell on to Kai's neck.  The Russian couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine at the intensity of Rei's eyes, and found himself vaguely wondering just what this would mean in the future as the smooth voice started speaking again and Rei leaned close to Kai.

Kai felt himself suck in a sharp breath as he felt Rei's lips gently brush along the skin of his neck.  The voice in the background began to speak now with more passion as Rei's lips gently descended again on Kai's neck this time lingering there.  Kai found he couldn't move, his eyes riveted to the spot on the wall just above Rei's shoulder.

Suddenly, without warning, Kai felt Rei's fangs drive deep into his neck, and he surged upwards, a pained cry escaping his lips as his head fell back.  Rei's arms encircled the Russian teen, and Kai found he couldn't move, even if he wanted to as Rei held him close enough so that their torsos were flush against one another.  Closing his eyes, Kai found himself drawn to the sensation of the pull of blood from his veins as Rei suckled softly at his neck.

"And it shall be done," Kai heard whispered in his head as Rei drew away.  Blinking, Kai looked deep into concerned yellow eyes, as his ragged breath began to even out.

"I'm sorry," the Russian heard, before he slumped against his teammate and fell into the awaiting darkness, knowing he would be safe in the arms of his friend.

0000

ACK! ::hides from all the rabid Tyson/Max shippers:: DON'T KILL ME!!!!! That part with Max and Li seemed to just write itself.  T-T''''''' And also, Mariah isn't going to be a total bitch!  She's interesting to me, and I don't like to bash any characters, so unfortunately for some of you, there will be no Mariah bashing in this story.

Everything will be explained in the next chapter.  Later days!  **ggj**


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